Who is the best for TVR electrics?
Discussion
I've got a TVR S series and have an intermittent electrical problem which cuts my engine spark. I've spent a lot of money trying to resolve this; removal of alarm/immobiliser, all electrical wires pinged etc... Not fixed. Who is the best person in England to fix this? I live in London but will travel as far as needs be to get it done by the best.
Cheers
Cheers
Sounds as if you need a good auto sparky. Removing the alarm/imob from the equation simplifies things a lot. If they were still involved I'd suggest Carl Baker.
How difficult is it to reproduce the problem? If it only happens occasionally you stand to spend a lot of time and money just to get the problem to happen in front of your specialist, let alone enough times for them to find the problem.
Which S is it?
Have you made any progress to find which components are losing power - coil, ECU, dash, pump etc?
How difficult is it to reproduce the problem? If it only happens occasionally you stand to spend a lot of time and money just to get the problem to happen in front of your specialist, let alone enough times for them to find the problem.
Which S is it?
Have you made any progress to find which components are losing power - coil, ECU, dash, pump etc?
It's an S1 2.8 MFI.
The problem has no set pattern and is very hard to predict. I've just had a complete engine rebuild and the garage kept it for a week running it for 1.5 hours each day to induce it to cut out - which it did. They say that there are no problems with the wiring, the yellow connector has been removed and I do not lose any power when the engine stops. They've replaced the coil, I've got new points, new fuel pump etc. When they removed the alarm/immobiliser they couldn't get the car to cut out again even after a good long drive. I've had it back almost a week and it did it three times last night and twice earlier in the week but I'm commuting with it and did a trip to the Goodwood Revival. A few months ago I did 1,400 miles to France, non-stop, and it didn't miss a beat.
Last night all was fine until I parked it outside a museum (ironic!) and came back 2 hours later - would not start. Took me 40 seconds then it did, I revved it up but then it cut out again. In this situation you normally wait 5 mins and it will start, I've found a way (I think) to fast track it by wiggling the key in the ignition and it came to life about 25 seconds later. It also cut out at about 20 miles per hour 20 mins later and I removed the key, re-inserted and it started. In the past I normally had to pull over and wait 5-10 mins for it to start.
The garage thinks it has to be the ignition barrel...what do you think to that?
Thanks
The problem has no set pattern and is very hard to predict. I've just had a complete engine rebuild and the garage kept it for a week running it for 1.5 hours each day to induce it to cut out - which it did. They say that there are no problems with the wiring, the yellow connector has been removed and I do not lose any power when the engine stops. They've replaced the coil, I've got new points, new fuel pump etc. When they removed the alarm/immobiliser they couldn't get the car to cut out again even after a good long drive. I've had it back almost a week and it did it three times last night and twice earlier in the week but I'm commuting with it and did a trip to the Goodwood Revival. A few months ago I did 1,400 miles to France, non-stop, and it didn't miss a beat.
Last night all was fine until I parked it outside a museum (ironic!) and came back 2 hours later - would not start. Took me 40 seconds then it did, I revved it up but then it cut out again. In this situation you normally wait 5 mins and it will start, I've found a way (I think) to fast track it by wiggling the key in the ignition and it came to life about 25 seconds later. It also cut out at about 20 miles per hour 20 mins later and I removed the key, re-inserted and it started. In the past I normally had to pull over and wait 5-10 mins for it to start.
The garage thinks it has to be the ignition barrel...what do you think to that?
Thanks
Edited by The Stiglet on Saturday 26th September 14:57
If you find that wriggling the key makes any difference then that does point to a problem with the switch. You need to get access to the electrical side of the switch. It's exposed on the left side of the column when you take the shroud off. Identify the main power supply to the switch, and the ancillary, ignition and starting connections off it. With the ignition on there should be no voltage difference between the supply, and the ignition.
Now you have two options: Get set up so you can measure the voltage, wait for the problem to occur and see whether there is a voltage difference. If so this proves you've found the problem.
Or, bypass the switch (for example with a couple of 20A fly leads soldered to the appropriate terminals and connected together (break the connection to switch the ignition off). If the problem stops happening this implies you've found the problem.
Either way, if the switch is faulty clearly you need a new one.
Now you have two options: Get set up so you can measure the voltage, wait for the problem to occur and see whether there is a voltage difference. If so this proves you've found the problem.
Or, bypass the switch (for example with a couple of 20A fly leads soldered to the appropriate terminals and connected together (break the connection to switch the ignition off). If the problem stops happening this implies you've found the problem.
Either way, if the switch is faulty clearly you need a new one.
Reminds me of when I was about to drive away from the library car park in an old Moggy thou, right in the middle of York...many years ago.
Was a bit taken aback when blue flames started curling up from the ignition barrel.
Anyway, always had various bits of wire and stuff in the boot, so I went back into the library and read up on car ignition circuits, then came back to the car and by-passed the ignition... and she started !
Damned if I can remember how I did it, but it stayed that way for months.
ETA: My old 280i Wedge had an intermittent cutting out problem too, and that turned out to be a dodgy fuse/holder in the engine bay, though yours does sound switch related...possibly not earthing properly ?
I know little about electrics, but if my car breaks and it's cold and dark, and I'm low on cigs....I WILL fix it.
Was a bit taken aback when blue flames started curling up from the ignition barrel.
Anyway, always had various bits of wire and stuff in the boot, so I went back into the library and read up on car ignition circuits, then came back to the car and by-passed the ignition... and she started !
Damned if I can remember how I did it, but it stayed that way for months.
ETA: My old 280i Wedge had an intermittent cutting out problem too, and that turned out to be a dodgy fuse/holder in the engine bay, though yours does sound switch related...possibly not earthing properly ?
I know little about electrics, but if my car breaks and it's cold and dark, and I'm low on cigs....I WILL fix it.
Edited by grahamw48 on Saturday 26th September 16:43
grahamw48 said:
Reminds me of when I was about to drive away from the library car park in an old Moggy thou, right in the middle of York...many years ago.
Was a bit taken aback when blue flames started curling up from the ignition barrel.
Anyway, always had various bits of wire and stuff in the boot, so I went back into the library and read up on car ignition circuits, then came back to the car and by-passed the ignition... and she started !
Damned if I can remember how I did it, but it stayed that way for months.
ETA: My old 280i Wedge had an intermittent cutting out problem too, and that turned out to be a dodgy fuse/holder in the engine bay, though yours does sound switch related...possibly not earthing properly ?
I know little about electrics, but if my car breaks and it's cold and dark, and I'm low on cigs....I WILL fix it.
I like this story!!! Was a bit taken aback when blue flames started curling up from the ignition barrel.
Anyway, always had various bits of wire and stuff in the boot, so I went back into the library and read up on car ignition circuits, then came back to the car and by-passed the ignition... and she started !
Damned if I can remember how I did it, but it stayed that way for months.
ETA: My old 280i Wedge had an intermittent cutting out problem too, and that turned out to be a dodgy fuse/holder in the engine bay, though yours does sound switch related...possibly not earthing properly ?
I know little about electrics, but if my car breaks and it's cold and dark, and I'm low on cigs....I WILL fix it.
Edited by grahamw48 on Saturday 26th September 16:43
I changed the fuse at lunchtime yesterday and the car started straight away as usual. I thought I'd leave it on in the car park just to have a little test and see if it cut out. It cut out after 10 mins, but restarted immediately and then cut out another 20 mins later but started immediately. Normally it is impossible to restart it for a good 10 minutes.
I'm not convinced it is the ignition barrel as it cut out two days ago between the King's Road and Fulham road in rush hour
and I couldn't get it started for a full hour!! I'd even called the breakdown recovery truck as I thought it had finally had it. No amount of wiggling, cajoling, playing with fuses got it to start. It seems to be getting worse.
The garage may have pinged all the wires but they didn't touch the fuse box. Quite frankly, as this is the weakest part of a circuit surely they should have started here?! Maybe I need a new fuse box? It's turning into a big guessing game and I'm not too comfortable with that.
The garage can take my car back next week but at the moment it lurks in the works car park...unloved.
I'm not convinced it is the ignition barrel as it cut out two days ago between the King's Road and Fulham road in rush hour
and I couldn't get it started for a full hour!! I'd even called the breakdown recovery truck as I thought it had finally had it. No amount of wiggling, cajoling, playing with fuses got it to start. It seems to be getting worse. The garage may have pinged all the wires but they didn't touch the fuse box. Quite frankly, as this is the weakest part of a circuit surely they should have started here?! Maybe I need a new fuse box? It's turning into a big guessing game and I'm not too comfortable with that.
The garage can take my car back next week but at the moment it lurks in the works car park...unloved.
Alright guys, I tried to pick it up tonight and the same problem.
In that case, who is the best auto-electrician to have a look at it in London that I can try to get it to? Might be able to get down the M3 a bit into Hampshire etc... Don't want to head East as too far.
Throw me a lifeline!
Cheers
In that case, who is the best auto-electrician to have a look at it in London that I can try to get it to? Might be able to get down the M3 a bit into Hampshire etc... Don't want to head East as too far.
Throw me a lifeline!
Cheers
Sorry i`m not up to speed with TVR electrics but i had a problem with a previous car, similar to this and it was down to a relay that fed the ecu or any part of the ignition circuit. It had me stumped for ages, and i`ve seen plenty of other people suffer with these problems- so i pass on the message if i can.
When temperatures rised in the cabin, the soldered joints that were cracked in the relay expanded and cut the power. It would then cool down once the engine was off and then start on the button 15 mins later. difficult to hear the relay clicking so its easily missed.
Its a common problem on old golf's and Honda crx's, easily fixed with a soldering iron, but as i say i`m not aware if TVR's use relays etc.
Alex
When temperatures rised in the cabin, the soldered joints that were cracked in the relay expanded and cut the power. It would then cool down once the engine was off and then start on the button 15 mins later. difficult to hear the relay clicking so its easily missed.
Its a common problem on old golf's and Honda crx's, easily fixed with a soldering iron, but as i say i`m not aware if TVR's use relays etc.
Alex
Thanks Guy and Alex.
I've got the number from the garage at Hampton for the mobile auto-spark. Seems to think it could be a component in the ignition system rather than wiring. I'll try and get him to have a look this weekend.
Wish me luck
P.S. I will eventually get to that pub meeting Guy but as you can see it's not really a good time
I've got the number from the garage at Hampton for the mobile auto-spark. Seems to think it could be a component in the ignition system rather than wiring. I'll try and get him to have a look this weekend.
Wish me luck
P.S. I will eventually get to that pub meeting Guy but as you can see it's not really a good time
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